Newcastle United declared war on the Journal, Evening Chronicle and Sunday Sun last week after telling the papers they were not welcome at club press conferences or matches at St James's Park.

The club wrote to the papers, part of our Trinity Mirror regional operation, complaining about their coverage of a fan-organised protest march against owner Mike Ashley.

The march, attended by around 500 supporters before the draw against Liverpool, demand it was "time for a change".

The Chronicle carried a front page story the day of the march debating the issues, and also a measured and balanced editorial inside the paper.

But Newcastle officials are so furious it was given publicity, they have withdraw all cooperation with the local papers who produce up to 50 pages a week of Newcastle United coverage.

The ban was known about by sports reporters last week, but blown open into the public arena this afternoon, when Pardew turned up at his post match press conference at the Stadium of Light, which the journalists were not banned from.

When Journal chief sports writer Mark Douglas asked Pardew how he he felt Newcastle had played, Pardew replied: "Sorry.." before Newcastle's head of communications Wendy Taylor intervened and said he could not ask any questions.

Later in the press conference, Chronicle chief sports writer Lee Ryder asked Pardew: "What do you expect the reaction to be against Manchester City?"

Ms Taylor once again said: "You know the situation."

When national papers pressed the Magpies manager on why the ban was in place, there was no answer given.

The Ashley regime has banned ten journalists for varying lengths of time in the last six years.

The club wrote to the local papers and said the ban was made collectively by Alan Pardew, Joe Kinnear, Lee Charnley, John Irving and Mike Ashley.